TimesLive reports that the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) in the Western Cape has called on Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene in the water crisis faced by the City of Cape Town.
In an open letter written to Ramaphosa and the water minister, Cosatu said the water crisis was a threat not just to Cape Town but the entire country. “This crisis is due to the less than adequate management of water in the Western Cape‚ by all levels of government. The new water situation in the country is causing serious challenges in many provinces‚ with Western Cape‚ Eastern Cape and Free State the worse affected at the moment. The situation in the Western Cape is however the most desperate with the management thereof leaving much to be desired,” wrote Cosatu provincial secretary Tony Ehrenreich. Noting that the water would likely run out, he went on to state: “The economy will be severely affected with many jobs being lost‚ due to water supply instability. The sanitation system is water based and when the water runs out‚ the drains will overflow and the spillage will lead to disease and deaths.”
- Read this report by Penwell Dlamini in full at TimesLive
- Read Cosatu’s open letter at Cosatu Today
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page